


Ozai is a dickbag

by GayGal



Series: I have some atla ideas [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Child Abuse, I might write more of this, I'm Sorry, The Gaang Learns How Zuko Got The Scar (Avatar), This is an AU, comments water my crops, im lazy ok?, ok so its really not the same, ozai is a dickbag, zukos scar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:14:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24742141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GayGal/pseuds/GayGal
Summary: I'm just gonna paste a shitty tumblr post I made in here and I might write more of it idk. basically after ursa was banished ozai became really physically abusive to zuko and basically I wanted to have fluff where zuko revels his scars to the gaang and they love himau also where zuko just stays a prince and has a council rule the fire nation because he doesn't want to and also, what was uncle iroh thinking, having a traumatized 16 year old run the fire nation.
Series: I have some atla ideas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1905604
Comments: 12
Kudos: 300





	1. Chapter 1

ok, but consider: an au where ozai the dicckbag was more physically abusive. where ever since (whats her face the mom) was banished, ozai didn’t have anyone to stop him from hurting zuko if zuko messed up, or ozai was mad. where anything could lead to a fire encased hand or foot coming towards him. consider a zuko who never takes off his clothes because it’s bad enough that everyone can see the one on his face, they don’t need to see the countless other ones. where he always wears long sleeves and pants and robes. where he doesn’t take them off even at the beach, or when it’s hot, or he’s training. 

only a few people know: ozai, azula, a few healers, and eventually, partway into his banishment, uncle iroh. but consider, sometime after season three he’s hanging out at the beach with the gaang and he realizes how much he trusts them. and he takes off his clothes and runs to the water and dives in. (katara took on the role of the one to describe things to toph and she hurries over now to explain) and later that night at dinner, zuko explains. first the story of the one on his face, (the war meeting, the generals plan, his out burst, how apparently there was only one way to settle this: an agni kai, the supriseof seeing his father on the other end, he starts crying as he tells how he begged for mercy, cries harder when he tells them what ozai said “you will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher”, how he was banished for not fighting) and everyone is horrified. most are sitting there, shell-shocked, but toph is ANGRY. she is shouting and then, she storms off. aang says something like “the monks always taught me that respect was showing kindness to all living things. he wasn’t trying to teach respect. he was teaching authority and fear.” and when toph comes back, they all encircle zuko in a hug, and he cry happy tears. (i’d put more but i’m bad at writing.)


	2. later that night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try to keep writing, I have a bunch of ideas for this pic, I'm just not good at writing
> 
> also I have this head cannon/ sorta partly canon idea where both aang and zuko have trouble sleeping for various reasons, so they platonically sleep together in one of their beds also zuko is a fire bender so he's really warm

Later that night, Zuko cried. He cried for all the times he hadn't. He cried for all his younger selves. He cried for the clean skinned boy who didn't know where his mother was. He cried for the small boy who didn't know why he was being punished. He cried for when he had lost that innocence and began blaming himself. For thinking "if i was better." He cried, and the memories floated around in his head, until finally, he cried himself to sleep.

Later that night, Katara stared at the ceiling and thought about the story Zuko had begun telling them. So many things about him made sense now, although she partly wished they didn't. She could still see the body scarred all over, some parts more scar than skin. And as she started to sleep, she felt something deep inside her. Rage. She wanted to kick Ozais ass to the stars and back. She hated him before, of course. His war plans were horrible. but this was a new level of hatred. A boiling pit of rage.

Later that night, Toph turned the descriptions Katara had given her over and over in her mind. She had had the one of his face for quite some time now, but now there were more. Katara had told her of horrible burns in the shape of handprints, of arms that were more scar than skin. Of splotches all over his shins. And she didn't know if she wanted these descriptions. A verbal story of pain and suffering. A tale of a monstrous father and a kind son. 

Later that night, Aang meditated. He thought of the meaning of respect, and wondered how it could be twisted so badly. He stared at the candle in front of him and thought about fire. He thought about how it could bring light, warmth, hope, the smell of cooking food; but how it could also bring pain, suffering, death, and horrible scars that would stay with one forever. Eventually he tried to sleep, and eventually he did.

That night, Sokka slept. He tried to block the sad, pained look Zuko had had out of his mind. He only partially succeeded.  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Next chapter (if/when I write it) the gaang goes shopping!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not a chapter sorry

So, some notes.  
One, I’m to lazy to go back and edit the previous chapters so. My new description of zukos scars. The one one his face is bigger than canon, taking up half his face. Like these:  
https://scribblecate.tumblr.com/post/616958737543020544/avatar-doodles

https://pakchoys.tumblr.com/post/616682471823704064/hello-zuko-here-but-i-guess-you-probably

For the rest of his body, his arms and shoulders barley have any unscarred skin left. There are tons of other scars on his body but those are kinda up to your imagination.

Two. zuko is basically blind and deaf in his left side in this fic. (this isn't mentioned very often, but I thought I'd toss it in here.)

Three. I’m sorry for how often the writing style on this fic will change. And for how infrequently it updates.


	4. Alternate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> different idea for this

The other way this could have gone was after he joined the gang, katara or someone grabbed him on a still healing burn. She then made him roll up his sleeve. She healed it and tried to ask about it, but toph was like, "fuck of, sugar queen. I'm pretty sure that's some personal business."

Also, I put this in a series with other fics that use this ides, if you want to read them! Sorry this was so short. :)


	5. iroh is sad, zuko is panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'And thank you, random commenter' for this idea

It had been a few months since his nephew’s banishment. Zuko, if nothing else, was driven. He must know it was an impossible task, but he was throwing himself at it. His face was still healing, and yet he was running around, checking maps and books. Iroh decided. ‘He needs a cup of calming tea.’ He made the tea and put it on a tray. Zuko’s door was cracked open.  
“Zuko, I brought us-” but he stopped in shock, dropping the tea tray. Zuko had been changing and was in only his undershorts. But that was not what had caused Iroh to stop dead. His nephew’s skin was covered in scars. Zuko whirled around.  
“Does anyone understand the concept...of knocking…” his voice trailed off as he saw Iroh in the doorway.  
-  
Shit. Shit. Shit. Fucking agni damned shit. His uncle was in the doorway. A dropped tea tray on the ground. He quickly picked up a robe from the floor and fumbled it on. But he knew it was too little, too fucking late.  
“What do you want.” shit shit shit what was he going to do what would uncle do he’d seen how many times Zuko had failed shit shit-  
“What happened to you, my nephew?”  
“Huh, you really are old. I thought it was obvious.” He knew this was bad, he shouldn’t be talking back, but it was the one thing he had.   
“Did Ozai do this?” Uncle’s voice was low and sad.  
“My fault. I’m a failure, as you saw a few months back. I didn’t follow the rules, I disrespected him, I got punished. Did you really think the agni kai was the first time Ozai got physical with us?”  
“Us?”  
“Ha. You thought that Azula’s golden child status would save her? If she lagged the slightest bit, well. He’d never hold back against either of us.”  
“He...when? Those, I don’t know much in the way of medicine, but those look old.”  
“Well, when did the only person who could protect us disappear? Mom vanished, and so did the protection she could offer us.”  
“But...that was five years ago. You were eight.”  
“And Azula was six. The worlds not fair.” honestly, he didn’t understand why uncle was so concerned. Firstly, it was his fault. He failed, didn’t follow the rules, and paid the price. Secondly, he was thirteen now. Banished on what he knew was supposed to be an impossible quest. Uncle suddenly moved towards him. He fought the urge to flinch back. But uncle wrapped him in a hug. It was warm and soft and the hands on his back didn’t burn into his skin. He let himself relax.  
-  
Iroh immediately forgot what Zuko said about Azula. In his mind she would always be a cruel monster, ready to take Ozais place with claws of fire, fire burning bright blue. But Zuko never forgot. And in this universe, he was a little kinder, and they fought less. In this universe, they were bound by pain and scars that would never leave. In this universe, Zuko could see his sister’s cruelness was a mask that kept her safe. And when they were alone, he promised her secrets were safe with him. He’d never tell Ozai about the soft smiles she’d share with him, never tell of how he and his sister would laugh about how obvious it was that Mai and Ty Lee were crushing on each other. And after the comet passed and the avatar won, they truly hugged for the first time in years and years. Before, they’d only had quick touches, knowing there were eyes everywhere. But now they hugged, and Azula started to heal.


End file.
